Healthy Food Database

Pepper, Szechuan
This is not a true pepper but the dried, burst seed pods of the prickly ash tree. The taste is hot like pepper, lingering and somewhat 'fizzy' on the tongue.
Szechuan peppers are used a lot in Asian cooking and have a slight lemony flavour.

They're often accompanied with chillis and it's believed that the the szechuan pepper have a slightly anesthetising effect on the mouth which makes hot chillis more tolerable.

Szechuan pepper is available from the dried spice section in greengrocers.
Category: Spice
In Season: all year
To Buy:
Buy whole pods from good spice stores or Asian stores. Watch out for the round, black seeds, which have no flavour and should not be used.
To Store:
Store in an airtight container away from heat and light.
Tips & Tricks:
Try adding Szechuan pepper to a mixture of black, white and green peppercorns in a mill. Use in Asian stocks, and grind freshly for a pungent, almost floral, flavour.
Cooking Tips:

Nutrition per 1 Tablespoon:

Amines:
Low
Glutamates:
n/a
Salicylates:
High

Benefits the Following Health Conditions:*

Find recipes with Pepper, Szechuan

* This information is sourced by a qualified naturopath. It is non prescriptive and not intended as a cure for the condition. Recommended intake is not provided. It is no substitute for the advice and treatment of a professional practitioner.

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